Mumbles

Agreed. I agree with folks that the writing is getting thin but I really admire the writing concerning this character. I commend the actor and the writing of this character and how complex the experience is - the anger, the boredom, the terror, the moments of grace and warmth. My heart broke a little when she got so ill at the party, having been denied a small respite.

I didn’t know that Ruhle had been an I-banker, which makes me admire her more because she is critical of big banks/hedge funds/Big Tech. Contrast her to Erin Barnett, who always carried water for that ilk (and probably still does.) Ruhle seems to have a heart, which must have been a disadvantage in her prior employment.

I think Ruhle understands economics and business more than the other anchors and reporters, not surprising given her background at Bloomberg. That makes her a very valuable asset to the network. Plus I like her because she doesn't suffer fools.

I like watching Midsomer Murders but confess they are like a "meringue" to me - sweet and light and enjoyable, but melt very quickly and I have a hard time remembering all the details. But I vividly remember that ending because I found it so touching. Esp because I was traumatized when the bully killed the fox earlier in the episode, the guy's best friend.

Yeah, me neither. I think this portrayal minimizes the danger of Sessions. Just like her early portrayals of Kelly Anne Conway conveyed a ruefulness about her role in electing Trump that wasn't true in real life (they abandoned that take when the truth became clear.) Also, apparently the show has the Trump sons conveyed all wrong as well; IRL Don Jr is supposedly an idiot while Eric, while not a genius, is quiet and wisely keeps out of the spotlight. Me too! And he seemed so delighted to do so. Oh and apparently the line in his monologue about smoking crack before his college graduation is probably true. I saw a CBS Sunday Morning segment on him and he was very candid about his substance/alcohol abuse in his past and his efforts to live a sober life. It was also nice to see Naseem on again. She was on Mulaney's short-lived sitcom a few years ago.

Yeah I’m with you, it’s a 17-year-old movie (that I never liked, YMMV) but I thought Stiller as Michael Cohen was brilliant casting. (Still LOLing at “I’m Donald Trump’s lawyer. I have a whole hard drive labeled ‘Yikes.’”) De Niro looked like a convincing Mueller but I hope they don’t keep using him, for all his talent, he is just not good on live TV.

My favorite episode of the season. Love this guy. His humor is specific and smart. What I noticed was the sketches this episode had a specific ending, instead of just hanging there. Like the twist with the drag waitress sketch. I wonder if that was Mulaney’s influence. (Lol I REMEMBER Patrick Stewart’s intro to Salt n Pepa! That was a great episode over all.)

I just rewatched Crying Pam from the marathon. I had been firmly in the “eh she knew what she signed up for” camp, and I still am. But at the same time I do feel a little bad because she and her husband were such good sports and hard workers, and they clicked so well with Frank. And I will say her neighbors fought for her fireplace with Doug to the point he was pissed about it. And the couples themselves seemed to really love and respect each other. You could see Pam’s husband’s heart break for her when she started to cry. So yeah, this show had and has homeowners who are disappointed with the results but thems the breaks. It’s just a bit of a bummer that it was Pam who fell in this category, and not some entitled or lazy homeowner. It reminds me how they did a celebrity episode with Sara Rue and Andy Dick. Sara and her husband worked with Vern and busted their asses and got a great room for Andy. Andy, living up to his last name, screwed around and hardly did anything (Genevieve was his designer and she was pulling out her hair to get him to do anything.) Result? Andy got a dynamite room and Sara’s was a half-assed mess. The Trading Spaces gods can be cruel.

I wonder if these occasional Soviet Culture Appreciation nights with Paige is to get her acclimated to a life back in the USSR if she and Elizabeth ever have to go back. I know that last season when Elizabeth and Phillip were discussing the possibility of quitting and heading home, the fact that the kids didn't have any knowledge of that culture was something they were concerned about.

Aw thanks! Can't believe I missed that. Phew. Lucky kid.

Really was surprised how much I liked this. Sticking it in Sunday at 8pm isn't exactly a vote of confidence by BBC America. But their scheduling decisions often confound me. I never watched Grey's Anatomy so I was ignorant as to how great Sandra Oh is. She's so natural! Yeah I am too and given that they yelled at Eve for putting him in danger, I assume he made it out alive...but that crime scene would lead you to believe he didn't. Would the assassin had left a witness? And yeah, there's no way the security at the hospital would have been so lax. But in not watching this for realism. Also - great soundtrack!

I was not a fan of Frank’s designs - too country-cozy - but damn if everyone doesn’t seem to love the guy. I read an interview of Amy Wynn in which she said he was her favorite designer to work with. I too love Amy Wynn - so talented and always maintained her calm - glad to see her, hope she does some episodes.

Doug seems to have mellowed just a little bit. In the first incarnation of the show he often came off as dismissive or even snotty about the homeowners. That didn’t come off as much. And his design was lovely. I loved how Ty stood up for the homeowners to Hildi. The homeowners seem more assertive this round. I wonder if it’s generational?

I liked “Black Jeopardy”when it mocked performatively “woke” girls in the Elizabeth Banks episode. And the Tom Hanks one was okay because it had some interesting political commentary. But in general it has some icky overtones that I don’t like, like in its “prizes.” Racist and classist. Some people put their leftovers in margarine tubs because they don’t have money for Tupperware. Comedy should punch upward. I didn’t like much about this episode except the restaurant sketch because it made fun of corny singing groups like Manhattan Transfer. I knew where Girlfriend/Wife of Every Boxer in a Boxer Movie was going (to her sister’s!) but I loved going there anyway.

We saw Pat kill Andy and Luke.

I missed how Elizabeth got the State Dept employee ID, the blue one with the A on it that she wore in the cafeteria. I rewound the scene of the tour a few times, no luck. Anyone know? Lol at what a capitalist Philip has become.

It will be interesting to watch the new series 10-15 years later to see how things have changed, not only taste-wise, but culturally. Like, for example, I just rewatched an episode set in Boston where a team of male homeowners on their own initiative decided to paint the walls of the room in stripes the night between the two days - which was NOT part of the design plan of their designer, Kristie. Both she and Paige came in the morning and were first shocked, then pissed, but Kristie put on a good face and went along with it (because she had little choice). I remember at the time thinking it was kind of jerky, but now 10+ years later it enraged me that these two guys just disregarded their female designer's plan and did what the hell they wanted. Maybe they would have done it if they were working with a male designer? Who knows, but I'm doubtful. And to the extent that there are geographical or cultural stereotypes concerning this kind of behavior - these were two gay men in one of the most liberal cities in the country engaging in this sexist crap. In any event it will be interesting to view the show through the lens of the changing culture of the last decade.

She was in the army, but someone died....but I guess that doesn’t need combat to happen. I dunno. This show’s been kind of running on fumes the last season or so and these two eps don’t do much to make me feel hopeful. Of course it might just be that the first few seasons were so so good. Sexy au pair? Jokes about a husband not wanting to see his wife’s lady parts? Eh. And I’m still mulling over Valerie comparing the racism Lucille faces with dealing with one snotty superior that one time and it ain’t working for me. How many seasons has Sister Winfred been on? She’s just....there. Ah yes, that’s right, she’s expecting....I was marveling at how beautiful she’s looking in these two episodes, the lustrous hair and glowing skin.

That was my thought too. And while it's not her fault, but Steph's voice and her manner of speaking reminded me of Sheryl Sandberg, a total phony I have zero tolerance for, and I couldn't get the association out of my head. And it doesn't help that Steph would venture into the occasional self-affirmation stuff that Sandberg peddles around too. When people try to rationalize why they should not be voted off by saying "this has been my dream" I roll my eyes because it's every contestant's dream. Well, I get your point but that's a false choice. You can have contestants full of personality who don't constantly talk about their personal lives.

I gotta say I got a little farklempt when Ken slapped Dale. I think it’s because Christine deals with so much crap and has such shitty people in her life (her father, Dale, her mean girl friends, her adopted twin sons who don’t really care about her) yet just soldiers on, it was just so gratifying to see someone else stand up for her.

I know Louie already won an Emmy for this, but his people should submit this episode for Emmy consideration. It was perfection. (I wonder if he’d be considered a leading actor? Almost all the eps have featured Christine.) I was concerned the French clowns would be either mean or pretentious but they were lovely and in two seconds saw and understood Christine’s pain at seeing her father on the video - something nobody she’s related to seems to get. So I love them too. Years ago Zach G was on the Maron podcast describing how he and Louis CK pitched the idea to Louie - it sounds like Louie took five seconds to accept the role. I need to listen to that again.

His rendition was so good! And it's a sentiment often expressed in song (Bruno Mars and Billy Joel's different "Just the Way You Are"s). One thing I did learn was that Rogers had majored in music compositon, which explains the great songs. I heard a replay of an interview he did on Fresh Air and he told Terry Gross he was disgusted when he first got a TV and saw people throwing pies at each other. I can only imagine if he were around and saw "Toddlers and Tiaras" or "Dance Moms", he would fly into a rage or burst into tears or both, given how poorly those shows treat children. I think at the time, this show had limited appeal to me because as a kid I found it kind of humorless, esp compared to livelier fare like Sesame Street or the Electric Company. But looking at clips now, there was a gentle, quiet humor to the show. Especially in the Land of Make Believe. Lady Elaine was pretty cool.

So Heidi is gaining rapidly as an unsung MVP. She managed to do a spot on imitation of Alison Janney, a person I didn’t think would be readily imitable. That and Girlfriend of the Boxer in a Movie from an early WU this season, she has a great talent for picking up on something specific and running with it.

If you can catch “It’s You I Like”, the Mister Rogers retrospective and appreciation, it’s well worth your time. He was a bit slow-paced for me as a kid but as an adult, especially in these times, I’m so appreciative of his kindness and honesty. We’ll not see the likes of him again. And even if you’re not a fan, there’s great footage of a lot of great guests. Watching Tony Bennett jam with Lady Elaine is worth it.

Yes, yes, 1000x yes. She's bugged me for years. She fits a demo that show bookers die for - Latina Republican. But when you dig into her experience and resume, it is very thin. Some sinecure title-only positions in Bush family campaigns, probably resulting from generous donations. And how convenient that her boyfriend turns out to be a big Dem donor. Sounds like he and she are perfectly hedged. She never has anything interesting to say. It's all hacky and shallow and what dull-witted people find "sassy." I could go to the supermarket and find someone in her demo who has a lot more interesting insights. Hmm. Maybe it's because there is nothing to say on that point? Stein made no difference (Nate Silver did a great analysis of this after the election) and the Sanders supporters voted in higher percentages for Clinton than her supporters voted for Obama in 2008.